Work guide for sewing machines



April 19, 1949. J. P. MeHuG/H 2,467,680

wpRK GUIDE FOR SEWING MAcHINs Filed April 24, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I s 5' V l' N 'A 30 I I 1Q E A l W1 TNESSES y I N VEN TORI 5 gn* I BY A TTORNE YS.

April 19, 1949. J. P. MCHUGH 2,467,680

WORK GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES` Filed April 24, 194:7` v zsheets-sneet 2 llllllllllllllllllllllll E# Il" WITNESSES I INVEN'roR:

Patented Apr. 19, 1949 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE WORK GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES Application April 24, 1947, Serial No. '743,656

This invention relates to work guides for sewing machines. More especially, it is concerned with what are known as uncurler guides for cup feed sewing machine such as are commonly employed for example in seaming together the selvage edges of fashioned stocking blanks and the like.

In the production of so called inside-out stockings, each blank is folded so that the rough or Wale side of the fabric is outer-most in preparation for seaming with the usual curls along the selvages facing each other.

The chief aim of my invention is to provide a work guide which, in addition to opening up the edge curls of the fabric before presentation to the stitch forming elements of the sewing machine, operates to automatically align any loose thread ends or loops projecting from the edges of the fabric with said edges for ultimate incorporation and concealment in the seam as the sewing progresses.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing a portion of a cup feed sewing machine with the uncurler guide of my invention in operative position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section taken as indicated by the angled arrows II-II in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail View in cross section taken as indicated by the angled arrows III-III in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows the guide in side elevation with the lower part of one of its press-elements broken away and with a portion of its main or central component in longitudinal section.

Figs. 5 and 6 respectively show the guide in front and rear elevation; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the main or central component of the guide.

Asv herein delineated, my improved guide comprises a main or center component I0 with an upwardly extending shank I I by which it may be supported in the usual way from above on the frame of a cup-feed sewing machine whereof only the two feed cups C and C and the needle N of the stitching mechanism are illustrated. As

ordinarily, the cups C and C' are aixed to pendant individual shafts S of the machine and rotated intermittently in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2 to cooperate in advancing the doubled fabric edges of a stocking blank or the like to the needle N in a well known manner. The foot-like bottom of the center component IIJ is 4 Claims. (Cl. 112-20) 2 tapered rearwardly from its pointed fore or toe end I2 toward its rear or heel end I3 as best seen from Fig. 2. The top of the forwardly-projecting or toe portion I2 of the component III is inclined upwardly in the direction of feeding as at I4 and merges with a narrowed portion I5 of the shank li through a concave curvature at I6. The toe portion I2 is moreover channelled at the top and provided with relatively sharp upstanding side edges Il' which begin at a point somewhat inward of the pointed front end and continue upward around the curvature I6, said edges being notched transversely at I8. As shown, the rear or heel portion I3 of the component I0 terminates in a relatively sharp edge I9 which is inclined upwardly and rearwardly for entry deep into the entrant bight between the feed cups C, C', said edge being provided by a projection 2B which in plan, see Fig. 2, sembles an arrow head and which extends somewhat above the top edge of said heel portion. From Figs. 4 and 7 it will be observed that the front of the projection 20 is inclined upwardly and rearwardly like the rear of the heel portion but at a somewhat more abrupt angle, and that it is there provided with relatively sharp edges 2| which are spaced slightly from the sides of the heel web with incidental formation of narrow grooves at 22. As shown, these grooves 22 extend down tothe level well below the top of the heel proper.

Fulcrumed for pivotal movement about pins 25 journalled in spaced lugs 26 at opposite sides of the component IIJ are the usual clamp elements 21. The lower portions of these clamp elements correspond generally in contour and size with the foot portion of the center component I0 except for being devoid of any rearward heel projections and for having their toe ends 28 rounded as 29 and terminating short of the toe end of said center component. The tops of the toe portions 28 of the clamp elements are complementally sloped downwardly toward their outsides as at 3U in Figs. 1 and 5, and their toe tips are complementally rounded outwardly at the insides as at 3I in Figs. 2 and 5 to facilitate entry between them and the toe end of the component I0, the two fabric edges which are to be seamed. A helical spring 32 passing through a clearance opening 33 in the shank of the center component IB and having its ends engaging recesses 34 in the upward lever extensions 35 of the clamp elements 2'I, serves to yieldingly maintain the foot portions of the latter in pressure contact with the fabric edges. As ordinarily, the clamp elements 21 are provided with apertures 36 to clear the usual stud heads 31 which project from opposite sides of the component I and which are of assistance to the machine operator in gauging the level at which the fabric edges are advanced to the feed cups C, C.

For the seaming of inside-out stockings, a cup feed sewing machine provided with my improved uncurler guide is used as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that is to say, the stocking blank is doubled with its rough or wale face outermost, and with the edge curls E (which as a result of the selvaging in the knitting have a tendency to roll toward the smooth or sinker wale face of the fabric) opposing each other. With this preparation, the edge margins of the blank are respectively positioned between the opposite side faces of the foot of the center component of the guide and the clamp members and the guide placed in operative position relative to the feed cups C and C-a1l after a manner well understood in the art. As the fabric is advanced by the intermittent action of the feed cups C, C', the curls E-are engaged from within by the sharp edges il at the top of the toe portion of the center component, and, due to the upward slope of said edges, are gradually opened up, the operator incidentally controlling the blank so that the fabric edges, when distended, are maintained at the level of the gauging studs 3l. Upon emerging beyond the clamp elements 2l', the opened-out margins of the fabric are held fiat to the heel portion of the center component l under the Continued pull of the feed cups as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 until they are nipped in the bight of the latter and seamed by the needle N. As the fabric margins traverse the interval between the clamp elements 21 and the nip of the feed cups, loose thread ends or loops, such as indicated at T in Fig. 1 projecting from the fabric selvages, will be intercepted by the sharp upwardly sloping edges 2| of the heel projection 26 and thereby directed into the grooves 22, with the result that they are carried up and caused to assume a horizontal position in line with the fabric edges and be ultimately incorporated in and concealed Within the seam. I have thus eliminated the step of cutting off the loose thread ends as was heretofore necessary after seaming full fashioned hosiery. After the seeming, the stocking is of course reversed so that the smooth face of the fabric will be at the outside.

While I have described my improved uncurler guide as especially adapted for use in seaming of inside out stockings, it is not necessarily restricted to such use, since it can be employed to equal advantage in seaming fashioned stocking blanks in the usual way with the rough side of the fabric innermost and the edge curls disposed outwardly instead of as shown in Fig. 1. In this case, the curls will be opened by action of the beveled top edges 3B of the toe portions of the clampelements 21 as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. A work guide for a sewing machine comprising a center component; and a pair of associated cooperative yieldingly-mounted clamp elements between which and the opposite side faces of the center component, the edge margins of two fabric thicknesses are drawn en route to the stitch forming mechanism of the machine for seaming, said center component having a rear portion with inclined shoulders at opposite sides thereof adapted to engage loose thread projections at the edges of the fabric and bring them into alignment with said edges for ultimate incorporation in the seam.

2. A work guide for a sewing machine comprising a center component; and a pair of associated cooperative yieldingly-mounted clamp elements between which and the opposite side faces of the center component, the edge margins of two fabric thicknesses are drawn en route to the stitch forming mechanism of the machine for seaming, said center component having a fore portion with means constructed and arranged to open up curls along the fabric edges prior to engagement by the clamp elements, and a rear portion with inclined shoulders at opposite sides thereof adapted to engage loose thread projections at the edges of the fabric and bring them into alignment with said edges for ultimate incorporation in the seam.

3. An uncurler guide for a cup feed sewing machine comprising a center component having a foot-like directing portion tapered for entry deep into the bight between the feed cups of the machine; and a pair of associated cooperative yieldinglymiounted clamp elements between which and the opposite side faces of the center component, edge margins of a stocking blank or the like are drawn en route to the stitch forming mechanism of the machine for seaming, said center component having a fore portion with means constructed and arranged to open up curls along the fabric edges, prior to engagement by the clamp elements, and a rear portion with inclined shoulders at opposite sides thereof adapted to engage loose thread projections at the edges of the fabric and bring them into line with said edges for ultimate incorporation in the seam.

4. The invention according to claim 3, wherein the top of the fore portion of the center component is inclined upwardly in the direction of feeding and longitudinally channeled for provision of relatively sharp upstanding side edges which constitute the uncurling means and which are adapted to engage inward curls of the fabric from within to open them up.

JOSEPH P. MCHUGH.

REFERENCES CITED 'The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,318,385 Hacklander May 4, 1943 

